Note: This P&P consumer floral research utilizes the latest U.S. household projections for 2015 to 2020 from estimates determined by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University (McCue, 2014).
Prince & Prince, Inc. (P&P), a leader in market research focused on the floral and green plant industry has released a projection for the retail value of U.S. consumer floral purchasing for the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday (Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12th, 2019). The P&P U.S. consumer floral spending projection is $4.5 billion dollars at retail, for all fresh floral products, including fresh cut flower arrangements, pre-made and hand-tied bouquets, roses, various single stemmed-flowers & bunches, and corsages, as well as indoor potted flowering and foliage plants & combination planters. This valuation also includes any associated delivery/ service fees (e.g. the aggregate consumer household spending, in dollars, for the complete floral offering(s), for this specific floral occasion).
According to P&P market survey estimates, Mother’s Day is the most important and largest “floral holiday” for the U.S. floral industry. P&P project that in 2019, nearly 57 million households in the U.S. will purchase fresh cut flowers and/or potted plants for well-deserving mothers throughout the nation. In fact, more floral-buying households in the U.S. will purchase fresh cut flowers and indoor potted plants for Mother’s Day than any other holiday, event, or occasion of floral purchase throughout the year1.
In last year’s reporting, P&P revealed that the biggest floral spenders (on an annual basis) have a substantially higher incidence of floral purchase for Mother’s Day, compared to moderate and lower-level floral spending groups, suggesting that the floral product offerings for Mother’s Day should likely be skewed toward higher-end offerings that meet the expectations of these big floral spenders (Prince & Prince, 2018). P&P’s historical survey data reveals that floral purchasing for Mother’s Day has been trending up over the past decade for householders under the age of 35, and those aged 35 to 44, as well as for those households where children and/ or teenagers reside within the household. Just over 20% of U.S. floral-buying households have at least one teenager residing in the household, and nearly one-quarter of floral-buying households have children within the household. These specific age and household composition market segments attain higher likelihood of floral purchase for Mother’s Day than do other segments. For example, in the prior P&P consumer floral survey, households with children and teenagers each gained 18 and 19 percentage points, respectively, in the incidence of floral purchase for Mother’s Day, when compared to households without children or teenagers (58% purchase incidence without, 76% and 77% with, respectively). This purchasing data also suggests that there are likely multiple floral purchases within the household for Mother’s Day, which buttresses the relatively high household floral spending projection for this holiday. P&P project that for 2019, each purchasing household, on average, will spend slightly more than $79 on Mother’s Day flowers & plants, including all household members making a floral purchase, and with associated delivery/ service fees included.
These key market trends for the Mother’s Day holiday (big spenders, younger-aged households, children & teenager purchasing) demands a more diverse array of floral product offerings and price points for both high-end floral retailers and floral mass- marketers. It is one of the reasons why Mother’s Day is viewed by the industry as the “Mother” of all floral holidays! P&P extends best wishes to all in the floral industry for a most successful Mother’s Day!
About the P&P Consumer Floral Tracking Survey
Prince & Prince has been tracking U.S. consumer floral purchasing behavior for Mother’s Day, and for 20 other holidays, events, and occasions over the past two decades with their periodic surveys of U.S. floral-buying households (Prince & Prince, 2014). These periodic surveys are completed by over 1,000 randomly-selected floral-buying households throughout the U.S. and returned to P&P for statistical analysis, via both mail and Internet surveying methodologies, deemed one of the best ways to obtain a representative sample of the U.S. household population (Dillman et al, 2014). Over 7,000 consumer household surveys have been completed over the prior six survey periods. With statistical trend analyses, P&P is able to reliably identify and project salient floral-purchasing trends over time for the floral industry.
P&P Consumer Floral Research Update
Prince & Prince funds its floral marketing research programs thru collaboration and support from “research co-sponsors”. P&P is currently seeking research co-sponsors for a 2019 update of the P&P U.S. Consumer Floral Tracking Survey this Spring/ Summer (specific survey content at the P&P web site). This updated market research will track U.S. consumer floral purchasing trends and consumers’ floral-outlet evaluations across seven national surveys conducted over the past 23 years (initial survey conducted in 1996). Research co-sponsors receive the floral market presentation first thru a one-day, on-site seminar with Q&A, the complete 800+ slide presentation on flash drive, and co-sponsors receive exclusivity of the floral market information for a one-year period. Companies interested in a more comprehensive understanding of U.S. consumer floral demand trends and the dynamics of the retail and mass-market floral channels should contact P&P for research sponsorship opportunities.
Literature Cited
Dillman, D.A., Smyth, J.D. and Christian, L.M. (2014). Internet, Phone, Mail, and Mixed- Mode Surveys (Fourth Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
McCue, D. (2014). Baseline Household Projections for the Next Decade and Beyond. Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University.
Prince, T.L. and Prince, T.A. (2018). The Biggest Consumer Floral Spenders Are Definitely in the Market for Mother’s Day. Columbus, OH: Prince & Prince, Inc. (P&P Market Report).
Prince, T.L. and Prince, T.A. (2014). The Prince & Prince U.S. Consumer Floral Tracking Survey, 2014 Edition. Columbus, OH: Prince & Prince, Inc (On-Site Seminar and Seminar on Flash).
About the Authors
Drs. Tom and Tim Prince, formerly of The Ohio State University, are brothers and co-founders of Prince & Prince, Inc. (P&P), a leading marketing research specialist in the floral and green plant industries. The brothers have expertise in both horticultural experimental research and consumer survey research, and often combine both modes of research in their unique research project designs. P&P has completed more than 75 major marketing research projects and countless reports for the floral industry in the U.S. and in Europe. P&P conceptualize, design, and implement research projects for floral and green-plant suppliers, hardgood suppliers, floral importers, wholesale florists, retail florists, floral mass-marketers, floral-industry associations, and companies serving the allied floral trade. For more information, visit the web site at www.FloralMarketResearch.com, or e-mail Tom at FloralMktResearch@att.net
1 Some floral industry statistics suggest that Christmas is the largest floral holiday. However P&P market data indicate that a substantial portion of that holiday floral purchasing (e.g. poinsettias) is likely purchased for (prior to) Thanksgiving (a dual holiday purchase), as the Christmas holiday marketing is pushed earlier in the season. Also, P&P estimates are based on fresh floral product, not artificial/ dried or plastic flowers & plants. Based on the number of U.S. floral-buying households making a fresh floral purchase, P&P market data indicate that Mother’s Day is still the top floral holiday
